I'm Better Than Oprah - Chicago Marathon RR (long one)

Well, I did it. It was so tough- easily one of the hardest races I have ever run. But I didn't quit, and I crossed the finish line with a runner's high that will last a lifetime. Unfortunately, I did have to go back to work on Monday morning. LOTS of stretching and walking to break up the day a little bit- I am still a little bit stiff from the race!

I gave a lot of thought to my pre-race carbo dinner, and in the end I decided on pizza and beer. Lots of carbs, and the alcohol helped tremendously to calm the nerves. I went to my favorite thin crust pizza joint (Moretti's), and it was HEAVEN! Perfect meal. Before the race, I ate 3 Eggo waffles and washed it down with lemon lime Gatorade. Standard long run fuel for me.

We took public transportation to the race and arrived at about 7am. I immediately got into the start corral and hung out with the bf, who was on the other side of the fence. For the race, I decided to wear a blue long-sleeved Saucony shirt with long sports bra top underneath. At the last minute I decided on my bright yellow Hawaiian shorts. The shorts have seen better days, but they got me through the hills in Little Rock! I needed them! I also had throwaway gloves and a headband (which I ended up wearing the entire time) and a bright pink Under Armour cap. I was ready to rock.

Mile 1: I started about 10 minutes after the elites did. It was a long, slow walk to the start line that did nothing to calm my nerves. My stomach was doing somersaults. Once I started running I felt much better. I started slow but not too slow. My legs were rested and I felt fantastic.

Mile 2: The crowd support on this area of the course is fantastic! So far, we have crossed the Chicago River twice, and just seeing the people on the bridge going nuts for us is so much fun. Going down State St, passing the Chicago Theatre and Macy's. We turn just before my favorite building in the entire city- the Harold Washington Library. It's a big red building with huge iron gargoyles at the top. I LOVE it!

Mile 3: I'm running down LaSalle, passing the State of Illinois Building, when this guy runs by me and says, "Nice shorts! Too bad you didn't bring warm weather." I reply, "It's the power of positive thinking."

A note about the shorts: When I ran my first Chicago Marathon in 2003, I wore black shorts and an orange singlet, no hat. I did the same thing the following year, except my shirt was red. My dad was so frustrated at having missed me at several points on the course that he bought me bright yellow, multi-colored, obnoxious Hawaiian shorts for 2005. This is the first time the shorts have finished the full marathon.

Mile 4: My time for the 5K was a little slower than I would have liked (sorry Runopolis!), but I was still running the race the way I wanted to. One of my affirmations on the day- Run YOUR Race! Passed by Rock n Roll McDonalds and could practically taste the Chicken McNuggets. Sigh.

Mile 5: Still doing great, but oh God, I have never seen THIS many people run into the park to pee. And they clearly have no shame. That is one part of my running where I am kind of a wuss- I usually plan my running routes so that I am within a mile or two of my house in case the need arises. No bushes for this gal!

Mile 6: We've passed by the Lincoln Park Zoo, one of my other favorite places in the city. And let me tell you, that breeze off the lake is brutal. I'm freezing and I'm going to have windburn. A small price to pay!

Mile 7: Running right alongside Lake Shore Drive is awesome! There are tons of people out on the course cheering for us and holding up signs. My personal favorite is a giant cutout of Zac Efron wearing last year's bib number and medal. Why, I have no clue, but it's amusing all the same.

Mile 8: Still running a fast pace, but confident in my ability to maintain it. It's time for Boys Town, and the male cheerleaders and other characters who line the course. I can't help but smile as I take some Gatorade from a volunteer.

Mile 9: I thought about my mom and dad, who couldn't be at the race, as they are out of town. I am cruising down Clark Street, and I pass the place where they met. They met at a bar called Friar Tuck's (which is now a gay bar) on St Patrick's Day, and have been married for 35 years. I hope I have a good race report to pass along!

Mile 10: I am still feeling tremendous, and well on my way to a 2:10 half. I wanted to be pretty consistent and run 2 2:15 halfs, but I have gone out a little too fast and will definitely be right around 2:10. But I feel great, (the Elvis impersonator might have something to do with that!) so I'm going to go with it!

Mile 11, 12, 13: Back into downtown, and the cheers coming from people on the streets are awesome. Not awesome: crowd control. I've never had so many spectators try to run in front of me. It's HORRIBLE! I get to the halfway point at around 2:06, and I still feel great.

Mile 14: I GOT TRIPPED! Luckily I didn't fall down, but it was enough to knock the wind out of me and scare me half to death. And it happened right at the aid station where I had to drop out in 2005. My eyes fill with tears, but I shake it off. KEEP GOING, I tell myself.

Mile 15: We pass the United Center, and I am reminded of the AWESOME game by the Blackhawks on Saturday night. I had to stay up past my bedtime to ensure their victory! Damn it is cold out here!

Mile 16: My head is starting to break down. It keeps telling me that I can't do it, that I should just stop now. I'm tired and my feet hurt. But I push the voice aside and keep going. I see the bf and give him a HUGE hug. He asks, "Do you need anything?" I reply, "A ride home." This wasn't even the lowest point.

Mile 17, 18: Turns out all I needed was some FOOD! I inhaled a PowerGel (tangerine, yum!) while walking through the aid station. My body hurts, but it's single digits from here on out. I glance at my right wrist, where "I WILL FINISH" was written this morning. It's faded, but the message remains. I keep going.

Mile 19, 20, 21: I start to take it one mile at a time. "Just make it to 19," "Just make it to 20," "Just make it to 21." And you know what, I do. Although the universe didn't want me to, as I slipped on a banana peel at one of the aid stations and nearly broke my neck. I looked like a cartoon!

Mile 22: Longest mile of the day. I needed to make a pit stop at the aid station. It worked wonders, as I'm back to my old self and ready to rock!

Mile 23: I can see US Cellular Field, a jumbotron, and a crowd of people. I cannot feel my right baby toe. Uh oh. I keep moving, and then I feel a squish. Oh man... it would appear that a blister I didn't even know I had just popped. I should get it checked out, but I won't. If I stop, I won't start again. So I keep going.

Mile 24, 25: We're onto Michigan Ave now, and beautiful downtown Chicago looms in the distance. I stop at the next aid station and wolf down my gel. A man on the loudspeaker says, "Chicago is proud of you! You have 2.2 to go!" I delve into my old training mantra, which is, "You can do anything for 2.2 miles." And so I speed up. I count the blocks to pass the time. They seem to be whizzing by. I'm passing people left and right, for some of the fastest miles of the day. My quads are shot, but I am actually going to do this.

Mile 26: The crowd is unbelievable. I feel motivation from everywhere. I turn the corner onto Roosevelt, see Soldier Field, and really, that hill doesn't seem like anything. At this point, I will do anything. Like my About Me used to say, I will finish, even if I have to crawl.

Mile 26.2: I turn into Grant Park and see the finish line. I break into a sprint, desperate to beat 4:30. I cross the finish line, elated. Tired, with tears of joy welling up in my eyes. I did it. Final time: 4:28:09.

Thank you for reading... I hope you enjoyed reading about the race as much as I enjoyed running it. I love Chicago, but I am ready for a new destination. Next challenge: beat P. Diddy!